Jogging in a weighted vest can get you shot.

[Gob]

An Oxford University student sparked a terror alert when he wore a weighted vest as part of his exercise regime in the city.



An armed response unit swooped on Goudarz Karimi, 25, after he was mistaken for a suicide bomber.

The Iranian claims an officer told him he should use the vest elsewhere because of his appearance.

Thames Valley Police said it was an appropriate response and the decision was not made on ethnicity alone.

Mr Karimi was walking in Southfield Road on Monday afternoon when he was ordered to put his hands in the air by an armed officer in a bullet-proof vest.

He said: "I made a few steps and he said 'Stop, Stop! Don't move!'. Then he came slowly towards me and tried to take my vest off but it's quite heavy so I had to help him."

Mr Karimi claimed after he explained the vest was part of his exercise regime, the officer told him: "You have to imagine what this looks like with someone of your appearance".

"I said 'Sorry, but I'm just doing my work out - why should I adapt my ways because other people are suspicious?'."

Mr Karimi said he was then asked to give the officer his personal details under the Terrorism Act 2006 and was ordered to take his vest off.

"I said the vest is 30 kilos [4st 10lbs] so I'm not going to carry that in my hands all the way home. I said 'You know what, I'll put my jacket over it'."

The student said he believed the mix-up was a result of "fear and paranoia".


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ox ... e-15190563

[The Hen]

I would like to imagine that any person jogging through the streets in England with a weighted vest would raise suspicions.

It does look a tad suspicious these days. I possibly might think it was either a bomb or a bullet proof vest and both would have me concerned.

Perhaps a tracksuit top over the top of it would have been appropriate?

[Gob]

[The Hen]

Yup. If I saw anyone running along wearing that I would be looking for cover. Whether they be red, yellow, white, brown or black.

[Scooter]

So to look less suspicious suicide bombers will start wearing packs on their back instead of in front, and then we will be suspicious of anyone with a backpack.

Every tiny bit of freedom surrendered to the war on terror edges us closer to a victory for the terrrorists.

And I would have liked the ability to select multiple options in the poll because clearly there was more than one factor at play. "Someone of your appearance" indeed. Even if he was thinking it, did he have to reinforce the public's ever disintegrating opinion of police by saying it?

[rubato]

The vest looks alarming no matter the ethnicity of the wearer.

I want the police to stop and "make contact" with people whose appearance is that alarming and determine the facts. It is not inappropriate for them to point out that his appearance is ,whether he intends it or not, sending a message to other people and he might re-think the wisdom of doing so.


yrs,
rubato

[Scooter]

And perhaps that's fine. In which case invoking the Terrorism Act to ask personal details of him, as if to say "we're going to be keeping an eye on you", was completely unnecessary once they ascertained the vest posed no danger. As was ordering him to take the vest off in order to walk home.

[Sean]

I think there might be more to this story than this...

From the article:

The student said he believed the mix-up was a result of "fear and paranoia".
He said: "When he says 'someone of your appearance'... maybe he means my vest, or maybe he refers to the combination of my vest and my skin tone."

"I've seen plenty of pictures of people with weight vests on but of course they're always blond, Caucasian people.
"Maybe it is because I'm wearing jeans... I've never seen a bomb vest but it sure as hell doesn't have Maxivest (written) on it."

Supt Amanda Pearson, of Thames Valley Police, said an armed response unit was sent due to the nature of the call.

Armed police don't routinely patrol the streets of Oxford. A call was put in and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the call was put in by the student himself who is out to make a point.

[Scooter]

If so, then a policeman making reference to "someone of his appearance" proved himself enough of an idiot to play into the guy's hands.

But if, as people are claiming, the appearance of the vest was so justifiably alarming as to require police intervention, then why jump to the conclusion that he placed the call, rather than some concerned racist passerby?

[Gob]

Maybe he forgot where he was?

and thought he was still in Iran, where that sort of display would be praised!

[Gob]

If so, then a policeman making reference to "someone of his appearance" proved himself enough of an idiot to play into the guy's hands.

But if, as people are claiming, the appearance of the vest was so justifiably alarming as to require police intervention, then why jump to the conclusion that he placed the call, rather than some concerned racist passerby?

Maybe the racist student made up the "someone of his appearance" claim?

[Scooter]

Clearly something put his race into the police's mind:

Supt Pearson added: "The officers have to weigh up a number of factors to determine if a stop and search is proportionate and justified and the decision to stop and search would not be made on ethnicity alone - and wasn't in this case."

Emphasis added.

She just admitted that his ethnicity did play a role in stopping him, albeit claiming that it was not the only reason.

[Sean]

If so, then a policeman making reference to "someone of his appearance" proved himself enough of an idiot to play into the guy's hands.

But if, as people are claiming, the appearance of the vest was so justifiably alarming as to require police intervention, then why jump to the conclusion that he placed the call, rather than some concerned racist passerby?

I dunno... just a hunch. He seemed to have all the right soundbites.

Also, why was he exercising whilst wearing jeans?

[BoSoxGal]

Are you suggesting he was looking for his 15 minutes? How very jaded of you.

[Scooter]

Because I imagine he did not go to the press the second after he was approached by the police and instead put on the vest over whatever he was wearing at the time when he eventually did speak to them.

[Gob]

Also, why was he exercising whilst wearing jeans?

That struck me as odd too, can afford a very expensive weighted vest, but not a pair of jogging bottoms? And he had a jacket to put over it.

[Scooter]

He doesn't look at all sweaty either. Perhaps the entire "I was working out" bit was a ruse.

Or perhaps the picture was taken hours or even days later, after he had changed and cleaned up.

[Gob]

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[Scooter]

I guess they will have to change the appearance in a way that doesn't impede its functionality, in order not to have it mistaken for a bomb.

Or they can just make up a bunch of stickers to affix to the packaging that say, "Not recommended for use by people of Middle Eastern origin".

[Gob]

He said that when they realised it was an exercise vest they advised him to remove it to prevent any another call from a terrified member of the public.

'They told me I'd have to take my vest off, I didn't want to provoke anything else and that's why I put my jacket over it.'

Mr Karimi said he feared his ethnic origin had sparked the concerns.

'I am 100 per cent sure that if I was blond with Caucasian skin type, nobody would have noticed and said anything about it.

'But I'm of dark skin complexion and from Iran and I'm sure that's related to it,' he said.

He said officers advised him not to wear it in the street in future but Thames Valley Police dispute this.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1Zx9LsXNA

ha, his story rings as hollow as a polo mint.

Jogging, in jeans, with a jacket, but not wearing it? Pull the other one sonny.

Oh, and yes, people of middle eastern appearance, running, wearing what looks like a suicide vest, will tend to attract attention, there may be a reason for that.